Centaurea Seed Starting - Knowledgebase Question

Seeds of Centaurea are best sown indoors in late winter for planting outdoors in early spring. Use flats filled with moistened seed-starting mix, sprinkle the seeds on top, and cover with a thin layer of seed-starting mix. Then cover the flats with plastic wrap to provide a moist environment, and either place the flats on heating cables, or put them in a warm area such as on top of the refrigerator. As soon as the seeds germinate, remove the plastic wrap and put the flats under a source of artificial light, such as fluorescent grow-lights. Thin the seedlings when the first sets of leaves appear, and transplant the seedlings into individual pots when they've developed two sets of leaves. The plants will be ready to go into the garden in the spring after the air and soil temperatures have warmed.